Choosing the right optical drive for your homemade computer system can have a direct effect in its ability to perform. You need to choose the correct model that fits the speed of your system, is compatible with the graphics card, fits in .the computer (if it is not a stand-alone unit) and has the ability to provide the features you need.

What are you looking for in an optical drive? Is it mainly to play music, watch movies, create recordings, edit videos or a combination everything? Is it important to have Blu-ray capabilities? For Read Only functions, you can choose CD or DVD Rom systems. Systems that are more creative may require these units to be RW compatible. This allows you to play and create your own discs for music and/or videos depending on the optical drive you install. Drives with writing capabilities have a tendency to be a bit slower to ensure stability and quality recordings because of their sensitivity to jostling and interruptions.

What are you willing to pay for an optical drive that has the features you are looking for? Stand-alone drives can be more expensive but are easier to upgrade when new technologies arrive. The cheaper units tend to be CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or both. These are designed to only read your discs. Burning and recording personal music CDs and movies requires a RW feature. Blu-ray capabilities allow you to view high definition videos and games while handling gigabytes of information. These high-end units are more expensive but have the ability to store large amounts of data on dual-sided Blu-ray discs.

What optical drive is compatible with the performance you are looking for? If your system were mainly a gaming system, most Blu-ray units would be compatible with a large array of graphics cards as well as have the ability handle the large amounts of data required for reading and recording purposes. A cheaper, scaled down unit will fit your needs if you use the system for basic entertainment purposes. If you are a music junky, then choosing a unit that is compatible with your extraction software will allow you to sync up easier and create large quantities of music that are error free.

Choosing the correct optical drive to meet your needs will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your computer system or laptop. Establish your budget and the features you need from the start. Then, research both the optical drives you are interested in and the compatible components involved for optimal operations. The correct equipment will last longer and make your experience much more enjoyable. You will also save yourself a lot of time and money in the end.